(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a probe that is employed in determining characteristics of a fluid or objects dispersed in the fluid into which the probe is immersed. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a fiber optic probe that transmits electromagnetic radiation typically but not limited to the 200-2200 nanometer region, by way of one or more optic fibers into a fluid, and then senses how the electromagnetic radiation transmitted into the fluid is affected by the fluid or objects in the fluid. By sensing how the transmitted electromagnetic radiation is affected by the fluid, the fiber optic probe enables the determination of certain characteristics and/or properties of the fluid or objects in the fluid.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In the many different types of industrial facilities that process fluids such as chemical processing facilities or chemical laboratories, petroleum processing facilities, waste water treatment facilities, pharmaceutical processing facilities, etc., it is often desirable to monitor or test the characteristics or properties of the fluids being processed in order to regulate or control the processing of the fluids. For example, in facilities that treat waste water to purify the water, it is desirable to monitor the amounts of chemicals added to the waste water during the purification process in order to ensure that a sufficient amount of the chemicals are added to the waste water to result in its purification, and also to ensure that an excessive amount of the purification chemicals are not added to the waste water which would result in needless expense and potential contamination of the water.
In prior art fluid processing facilities, the fluids being processed were often monitored by extracting samples of the fluids or using non-optical based sensors. The samples were then tested to determine the characteristics or properties of the fluids, and thereby evaluate the processing of the fluids. The sampling would require one or more people at the processing facility to physically extract samples of the fluids for analysis. Thus, extracting the samples and then testing the samples would require significant amounts of time during which the fluid processing is continued. If the fluid testing determined that adjustments or changes to the processing were needed, a potentially critical delay would occur before the adjustments would be made. In addition, these testing procedures were at times very hazardous to the human tester, especially where the fluids being processed were potentially corrosive, toxic or explosive liquids or gases.
What is needed to overcome the disadvantages of prior art methods of monitoring industrial fluid processing facilities is an apparatus that continuously monitors the characteristics or properties of a fluid in an industrial fluid processing facility, and provides continuous data on the properties of the fluid which would enable real time adjustments in the processing of the fluid to obtain the desired results.